'MVA will break apart': Leaders react to Uddhav-Raj Thackeray reunion

Mumbai, July 5 (IANS) The reunion of Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray has reignited the political discourse in Maharashtra.

Sharing the stage after two decades, the Thackeray brothers declared a new beginning centred on Marathi identity and opposition to the imposition of Hindi, marking a potential realignment in state politics ahead of key elections.

The reunion also triggered political reactions from rivals and allies alike.

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale said the development will have ripple effects across alliances. “Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray have come together after 20 years. Let’s see what happens in reality. Both have come together now on the Marathi issue, which is a good thing… With these two brothers coming together, our MahaYuti will benefit even more. Now the Maha Vikas Aghadi will break apart.”

Athawale predicted that the Congress and NCP factions within the opposition alliance would start drifting apart, leaving Uddhav isolated.

The unity was warmly embraced by Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders, with party spokesperson Sushma Andhare remarking, “When brothers fight, it looks like a Mahabharat, but when two brothers stand united, it feels like a Ramayana. I believe today we witnessed a scene from the Ramayana here.”

Adding to the questions around MVA’s future, Shiv Sena leader Manisha Kayande said, “What will happen with the Maha Vikas Aghadi is uncertain; in fact, whether the Maha Vikas Aghadi even exists anymore is a question in itself. Because we saw, both during and after the Assembly elections, that their own members fielded candidates against each other.”

Uddhav Thackeray used the occasion to mount a fierce attack on the BJP, accusing it of using and discarding allies at will. He declared that he and Raj would now jointly work to remove the BJP from power in Maharashtra. “The imposition of Hindi will not be tolerated,” he asserted, tapping into the regional pride that once formed the bedrock of the original Shiv Sena.

--IANS

rs/skp